Sadly there was no sign of the elusive otter at Tanybwlch beach this morning. Instead a tiny Grey Phalarope was causing quite the stir, attracting a small but enthusiastic crowd of local birdwatchers armed with scopes, binoculars and some rather impressive camera gear!
Whilst it may not have looked particularly out of place, this bird is in fact native to the arctic and so had found itself rather far from home. Each winter there are a handful of sightings of these birds on UK coasts, as they are blown off course from their migration routes by stormy weather out over the Atlantic.
The phalarope spent quite some time bobbing out on the sea just off the beach, delicately picking tiny morsels of food from the surface as it swam. I took a few very distant shots, merely as a record but a little later on the phalarope obligingly passed right by the wooden slipway where I had hunkered down against the cold wind, in the hope of still catching a glimpse of the otter!
Still not a great shot, but I doubt I will see one of these birds again so a good addition to the archives!
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All photographs copyright of Claire Stott/Grey Feather Photography © 2020
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